WFTV: Brawl between 3 guests at Epcot caught on video

JohnD

JohnD

Well-Known Member
unkadug said:
It would never occur to me to try to shoot video in Portrait orientation, but I see it on the news and the internet ALL THE TIME.
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Just be careful to start the video in landscape mode. If you start in portrait and realize it should be in landscape, you'll be looking at a sideways video.
 
JohnD

JohnD

Well-Known Member
t3techcom18 said:
Sooo to put everything into perspective and set the record straight.

I know many people in that area of Future World East and worked at TT, so I know exactly who the CM is in that video and most of the details of what happened.

As far as to what happened, what some of you guessed is true: the fight started due to people cutting each other post-Design Studio. It's something that's been happening more and more lately at TT for some odd reason, but this is definitely the most extreme of the situation. They went at it for a good bit verbally before the physical part of the altercation came out, hence how the video was able to be shot.

Security was called in, but never showed up until 8 minutes in. It greatly saddens me that they took this long to get there, but it was a perfect storm of miscommunication that resulted in both management and security arriving later than anticipated. Even in regular emergency situations, there have been times where it's taken more than 5 minutes to get to the scene (waiting 10 minutes for Reedy Creek to show up when you have a girl that suddenly fell unconscious and is shaking all over isn't fun). Security followed them through but from what I've been told, weren't able to follow them after trailing both parties for a while.

In regards to the CM: He's a great guy. He's been with the company in the same area for several years and knows what he's doing. Going from personal experience, situations like these are not rare among us who work E-ticket rides. Granted, this is definitely one of the worst I've ever seen, but he's been at TT since the start of his career at WDW, so this isn't a new experience for him. It's also funny that some of you have been mentioning about being a teacher can help with these kinds of situations; he himself is actually a teacher at his regular job.

We're all worried right now as to what's going to happen with him (especially given the current state of the area), but everyone there is in agreement that he did the right thing. Did he touch the guest? By the video's details, obviously. Was it warranted? Absolutely. We're talking about not only two groups of people getting into it, but other guests surrounded on all sides of them that could've gotten injured, especially for the fact that a personal belonging was used as a weapon. As for him reaching out like that, you have to remember: that part of the queue is the bend right before you into Load. There's going to be many people behind, in front, and next to them. The fastest way to get through that area (and, in this case, your own personal protection) is to stay behind the railings in the Single Rider queue. It wasn't only a matter of protecting the other guests around him, but also self-defense.

What IS good news is that the manager on duty that night has experience from being in Security within WDW AND has previous law enforcement experience, so we're hoping that helps a lot from their own perspective.

Lastly on the question of whether or not we're trained to handle these kinds of situations: Not. at. all. We're only told to call a coordinator or manager when we feel that there is a possibility of something about to happen, if a situation is getting out of hand, etc, and then only call Security when absolutely needed. In the event of something like this happens, you try and get them to calm down and lead them away from other guests, but when it comes to large scale situations such as these, there isn't really a clear procedure in place.

Believe me when I say this: these kinds of things happen far more often than you realize.
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Thanks for the update. It's sad that a) people try to cut ahead and b) you have to try to stand your ground for your place. The cutting ahead really isn't needed. It's not like you're not going to ride (assuming there is no fight!). I've found myself in the middle of party by accident. I just let them go ahead. As far as someone rudely cutting ahead -- Tough call. I agree in principle they shouldn't do it and then be rewarded for jumping ahead. OTOH, is really worth fighting over?
 
Incomudro

Incomudro

Well-Known Member
What I find too much of in WDW is the "My party is further up the line..." line cutters.
So what?
If 1/2 of your family got to the ride 15 minutes before you, what right does that give you to join them ahead of the people waiting on line behind them?
That is, providing that story is true at all.
I don't call people out on this as they pass me, but I would if my family was the one they decided to park themselves in front of.
Cel phones have added to this, because now people call other people they are vacationing with from their point in a ride queue and tell that party to join them on the line.
 
mf1972

mf1972

Well-Known Member
I'd think something like that would cause an immediate ejection from the park. Hope I get a free pass during F&W festival. :angelic:
 
D

DisneyJayL

Well-Known Member
In the Parks
No
Hockey89 said:
No way would they have stayed....Men are always given harder sentences and it's not even up for debate....Women get 50% less for the same crimes in this country.... So yeah, I don't believe it either for one second.
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Whole heartedly agree. And it's sad. Sorry, just had a thought about it. It's crazy that it is assault yet nothing happens.
 
DisneyGentleman

DisneyGentleman

Well-Known Member
Spent last Sunday in the California parks and was very impressed by the orderliness and overall politeness of the crowds. Kids were well-behaved, and ankles were not getting banged by strollers. It's been decades since I saw such a uniformly decent group of people at a park. Quite amazing actually.

Is that a left coast thing, or is something changing?
 
JohnD

JohnD

Well-Known Member
DisneyGentleman said:
Spent last Sunday in the California parks and was very impressed by the orderliness and overall politeness of the crowds. Kids were well-behaved, and ankles were not getting banged by strollers. It's been decades since I saw such a uniformly decent group of people at a park. Quite amazing actually.

Is that a left coast thing, or is something changing?
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Never been there but from what I've read the majority of visitors to DLR are AP holders. I suspect that because they are already invested and have been multiple times, they know the rules of decorum not only for themselves but expect it from others.

With WDW, by contrast, the majority of visitors are guests who plan vacations as ticket holders. HM, for example, doesn't get an overlay at MK because of expectations of first-time guests. Now, that doesn't excuse bad behavior at WDW. So, it's more informed by the decline in civility in our culture.
 

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